Every thing or item used in a business or a home spends some time on a truck, before it reaches its final destination. Whether such an item or movement falls into the class of commercial, industrial, electronic, or residential; it has spent time on a truck. Loading and unloading a truck requires physical labor along with careful planning. Careful planning involves using the space available efficiently, filling the truck as full as possible without exceeding the weight limit.
Loading and unloading a truck also requires physical labor. Over the course of time, the moving industry uses a device known generically as a dolly to reduce and support the physical labor. A dolly typically offers a frame, supported on wheels or casters. Once an item is placed on the frame, the item moves with the frame more easily because of the casters on the dolly.
Dollies are used to move items or heavy objects of many types. A large object is tipped up and the dolly is placed under it. These objects usually sit on two protective coated bumper blocks. The object and the dolly are then manually rolled to a different location. The objects are not strapped or fastened to the dolly relying on the object's weight and a non-slip surface to secure the load.
Typically dollies in the industry are exemplified by piano dollies, office dollies and machine dollies. Office dollies are commonly used to move office furniture or home furniture. Machine dollies are commonly used to move industrial equipment. Piano dollies are used for the indicated musical instrument. Thus, at least three different types of dollies are used in the moving industry. These dollies customarily vary by height, length and width.
For example, a typical piano dolly is shorter in length and higher off the floor than the other dollies, in order to allow the load and the dolly to be tipped up on two wheels to ascend steps and curbs. A typical office dolly is lower in height with smaller wheels because the large office furniture, usually transported thereon, must clear doorways and is not required to ascend steps and curbs.
In the moving industry, dollies are available in varying heights and lengths for different load applications. For example, lower dollies are more effective to move tall office furniture through doorways and into elevators. Higher and shorter dollies are designed for items that need to clear steps or be tilted to climb steps. Movers need a variety of dollies on a truck to accommodate different situations. This causes problems with space and cost.
Prior art dollies are known. Some such dollies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,115 to Rehrig issued in 1988; U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,066, to Rehrig issued in 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,566 to Kern issued in 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,644 to Roby issued in 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,129 to Rehrig issued in 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,930 to Hardin issued in 1991; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,359,016 to Wood issued in 1944.
Dollies are typically made of relatively heavy, solid hard wood or plastic in a rectangular frame shape with a caster fastened on the underside of each corner. Other prior art dollies such as these are injection molded plastic with steel added for strength, which adds to the weight of the dolly. These dollies also are heavy with fixed bumpers, which are not adjustable.
The rectangular frame form of a dolly is hollow in the middle, which causes difficulty when loading either small items or those items with legs, thereon. This frame type of construction is used instead of a platform, because injected plastic is too heavy.
Because dollies are manually propelled and moving industry costs are weight related, the weight of a dolly is a significant factor. Such weight relationships are usually directly proportional. The heavier dolly is harder to move and requires increased physical effort. The heavier dolly also detracts from the cargo weight, or gross weight of the entire vehicle.
Protective coverings on dollies are often a problem. Such coverings include carpet and rubber caps fastened with staples, which often come loose and expose sharp staple ends. One prior art dolly has an attempted improvement for the dolly, with protective raised rubber pads on all four sides. However, this padded dolly still consists of an open rectangular frame. The frame provides less area on which a load may be secured than a platform with no adjustability.
One prior art dolly is adjustable, but is limited to either items with solid frames and items with toe region indentations. It is heavy, and its low clearance makes it almost impossible to negotiate changes in elevations.
Another prior art dolly is adjustable in height only and requires extensive time to strap each item to the dolly. The wheels are hinged, which can cause the load to shift or break the casters. Casters may also buckle and lock, thereby dumping the load.
Other prior art dollies have some adjustable features. However, adjustments involve heavy, complex mechanical devices and pertain to relocating the wheel configuration. These devices add considerable weight and make the dolly cumbersome to carry. The adjustable wheel location designs are limited to a specific task or load. These prior art dollies lack universal application and are not easily portable.
It thus becomes clear that a lightweight, adjustable platform dolly can provide a great advantage for the moving industry. More work can be handled with a lightweight, adjustable, platform dolly capable of handling many types of items, and serving in many capacities. Such a dolly is substantially unknown in the prior art.